Reason #5,543,765,234,654,001 why I love her...

Every tabloid/news station/celebrity site has been plastered with photos and news about Prince William and Kate Middleton's visit to America (not that I'm complaining...)  And yes, while I do love Kate and think she is stunningly beautiful, poised, and fashionable, there is someone who takes the cake.

Of course.  When William and Kate (can we call them that anymore?  The Duke and Duchess?  Let's just say the Royals) went to LA to watch a polo match, none other than my girl Giada was asked to prepare a meal for them and the other guests.  I could not have been more thrilled to hear it and was so excited to see what the menu would look like .  And even better was to see she made one of my all-time favorite recipes of hers-- Pea Pesto Crostini.

I've made these crostini countless times and they are always a hit.  If I have it on hand, I like to throw in a handful of basil to the food processor while pureeing the ingredients.  Since it calls for frozen peas, this truly is a versatile recipe, which would be equally at home at a summertime bbq or a Christmas party-- the red tomatoes and sweet green peas are a nod to the season but not over the top cheesy.  Served with crusty bread (or even as a pasta sauce?) the Pea Pesto Crostini never disappoint.  Thank you, Giada.

over the top Christmas

Slacker

I know, I have been SERIOUSLY slacking on writing posts.  I've been swamped at work and with the weather being so nice... the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer any more than I have to.  But I do miss writing and still think I have some mildly relevant things to say, so I am going to get back into the swing of things.

With the past month being as crazy as it has been, work-wise, I've had very little time to cook; most meals have been consumed at my little cubicle.  On the few nights that I was able to come home at a decent (ok, semi-decent) hour, I opted to throw together something for dinner since the thought of another takeout box was enough to turn my stomach.

When you are having one of those late nights, it's nice to have a couple staples in your pantry and recipes in your repertoire.  For me, this usually means some sort of quick salad with random veggies, nuts, quick-cooking or leftover grains, or (my favorite!) beans.  I absolutely love all types of beans, and since I don't eat much meat, I am constantly incorporating them into my diet.  Chickpeas, cannellini beans, black beans, navy beans, edamame, string beans... I'll take them all.

I was so excited when I saw this article in the New York Times a few weeks ago.  Not only is there a delicious recipe listed-- thinly shaved asparagus, radishes, and fennel-- but also multiple suggestions as to how this salad can be adapted to different seasons and cravings.  Behold the cannellini bean salad-- a healthy, delicious, affordable, and wonderfully simple way of highlighting the lowly bean.  

Salmon with Fennel-Orange Salad

Though I love cooking, there are times that I feel uninspired and at a loss of what I want to cook-- or even what I want to eat.  This mostly happens mid-week, when I'm so exhausted and pre-occupied that I can't think of anything fun, new, or exciting to make.  

There are others times, however, when I do have inspiration...whether by a recipe I've seen in a cookbook or blog, or a restaurant dish I want to re-create, or by a craving so specific that I know exactly what I want to make and how to make it. 

Today I had a fennel bulb in my fridge, which is an ingredient I absolutely love but haven't had in a while-- which meant I couldn't wait to create a meal around it.  The resulting dish is very reminiscent of something my mom used to make a lot during the summer.  The gorgeous stretch of weather we've had in New York called for something crisp, light, and with minimal cooking.  This recipe is easily adaptable and would be great with some substitutions here are there-- grapefruit or even mango for the orange, scallions for the red onion, or swordfish or tuna for the salmon.

Salmon with Fennel-Orange Salad

serves 1

for the salmon

1 6-oz filet of salmon

1 tbls. white wine

1 tbls lemon juice

lemon zest

salt and pepper, to taste

for the salad

1/4 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced

1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced

1 navel orange, zested and segmented

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 handful arugula

1/4 avocado, diced

4 basil leaves, sliced into chiffonade

for the dressing

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tbls. lemon juice

1 tbls. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tbls. olive oil 

salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375.  Combine the fennel, red onion, orange segments, orange zest, tomatoes, and arugula in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Slowly add in olive oil while whisking constantly, until dressing is fully combined.  Pour over salad, toss to combine.  Gently fold in avocado and basil so they do not bruise; set aside to let flavors come together.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place salmon in center of the foil square and season with salt and pepper.  Fold up sides of foil to create a packet around salmon.  Top with lemon juice and wine, and seal foil packet tightly.  Cook for 20-23 minutes, until salmon is just opaque in the center.

3. Assemble by putting a little a heaping mound of salad in the center of your plate.  Top with the salmon still hot from the oven, so arugula and fennel begin to slightly wilt.  Pour over any dressing remaining in the mixing bowl.

Lambrusco

It seems that each season I get on a kick and have a new drink that I have to have...all the time.  Last summer is was rose wine.  A couple winters ago it was mulled wine.  Prosecco and sea breezes... well, I suppose those are year-round.

My wine du jour is Lambrusco wine, which is a perfect red for the spring and summer.  White wine is fine, but I'm generally much more interested in red.  Lambrusco, from the Emiglia-Romagna region in Italy, is a crisp red with a gentle effervescence-- much less than that of Prosecco-- and fruity but not sweet. 

I first tried this in Italy with pizza, served chilled and in a juice glass.  I can imagine it working well with anything from grilled chicken to pizza to a summer panzanella.  Lambrusco had a bad reputation in the US after the 1970's, but the true Lambrusco wine is nothing like the overly sweet wine which was super trendy back then.  (or so I've heard...)  It's showing up more and more in restaurants-- or better yet, look out for it at your wine store, since it will be at least 300% cheaper there.

Labrusca Lambrusco, retails for about $15

Something Fishy

One of my absolute favorite things to eat is whole fish-- fins, head, and eyeballs included.  Aside from the interesting and gorgeous presentation, the fish is more likely to stay moist and succulent.  When I saw whole rainbow trout at the market, I immediately picked two up to make for dinner.  Though it may seem intimidating at first, whole fish is surprisingly easy to prepare at home-- impressive, fool-proof, and doesn't leave your kitchen smelling like fish.



I used this recipe from Bon Appetit, slightly altering it here and there... swapped trout for branzino, thyme and rosemary for the marjoram, used new potatoes instead of russet, omitted the pine nuts, and used way more tomatoes and olives than suggested.  I served it with a side of garlic-sauteed escarole, it was a quick and easy enough for a weeknight, but could definitely work for guests.





  


  

    gather all ingredients

 



stuffed with lemon, thyme, and rosemary





looks kind of like the recipe...right?